<p>Something that you should keep in mind is that by the time it comes time to apply, you may have absolultely no interest in going to grad school in economics. Preferences and what’s important to you change, as do situations. While Boston does have a very solid dept, if you’re not very very very sure you’re going to wind up in econ, I’d at least go to Vandy.</p>
<p>Understandably the Stanford pricetag is substantial, but if you do well at Stanford, you’ll be set. And trust me, there are tons of stories about people coming out of X school and “struggling” when it comes admissions time, Stanford included.</p>
<p>There are a lot of factors that go into admissions, and it comes down to so much more than a numbers game. A great GPA is no lock, so its not surprising that somebody only got into 1 of the 6 schools they applied to, especially if they were the top 6 schools. It is highly competitive. You’re not only competing against the best students from some of the best schools in the US, but against many foreign students that the best in their country. It is hard, and their is no shame in being admitted only to a program ranked #20.</p>